Local businesses asked to dig deep to support festival

Business people in Tralee are being asked to dig deep to support the town’s annual rose festival, which is reckoned to be worth €7m to the local economy.

A €100,000 target has been set and the festival’s support group is, this week, asking publicans and other traders to give as much as they can.

This year, the Aug 14-20 festival is being extended from five to seven days to mark the return of hundreds of former rose contestants. Special events for former contestants are being planned for Aug 14-15.

Money collected from businesses in the door-to-door collection will help fund live entertainment and parts of the programme which are free of charge “We want to give our visitors free and affordable entertainment,” said support group chairman Danny Leane.

Again, there will be an emphasis on family entertainment, much of it on the streets and open air.

More than 200,000 people are expected to attend, generating €7m for the local economy, according to Rose of Tralee International Festival general manager Oliver Hurley.

“The addition of two extra days to embrace the 2013 Gathering will undoubtedly lead to an increase in those figures.”

A rose wall will be unveiled in Tralee Town Park on Aug 15 and will include the names of around 1,000 women who have taken part in the contest.

The entertainment line-up includes X-Factor Pop sensations, JLS will also perform on Denny St on Aug 16, while rock band The Stunning will take to the stage on Aug 18.

Well-known Irish acts on the programme including Picturehouse, Ryan Sheridan Nathan Carter, Declan Sinnott, John Spillane, Brendan Shine, the Johnny Reidy Céilí Band and Hermitage Green.

Sharon Shannon will perform at a rose gathering gig in the festival dome, on Aug 15.

The general programme also features parades through the streets of Tralee, a skyfest air show and two spectacular fireworks displays.